Communities of glomeromycota in the Argentine arid diagonal: An approach from their ecological role in grassland management and use

Abstract

Among the South American Arid Diagonal (SAAD), the Argentine Arid Diagonal (AAD) constitutes an area with low precipitations (less than 500 mm) and extends from the north of the country (on the border with Bolivia), to Patagonian Atlantic coasts. In these environments, the economic activities are mainly related to livestock production based on the grazing of native vegetation. These practices have resulted in increasing desertification processes at an extremely high level for these ecosystems. Fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), have an important ecological role in poorly fertile environments. These fungi help the host to absorb nutrients, increase photosynthetic rates and recover aerial biomass lost after grazing. In addition, are involved in the establishment, assembly and succession of plant species. In this chapter, we have focused on different studies performed in AAD about the ecological role of AMF in natural grasslands used for livestock purposes. Based on the bibliography collected, we made a list of AMF species cited in the biogeographic regions included in AAD, analyzed the grazing effects on diversity and functional traits of AMF, and the importance of mycorrhizal colonization according to the management practices and ecophysiological characteristics of plant species. In AAD grasslands, the use of forage resources must be carried out with caution to conserve the attributes and functional traits of Glomeromycota communities and ecosystem services. In the context of moderate grazing mycorrhizal colonization is beneficial to recover photosynthetic tissue lost and to promote compensatory growth of grass species in arid and semiarid environments.